Breaking The Habit
by ShadowOfApate
Summary: Experimental Fic. Willow turns to the Devon Coven for help with her addiction.


Title : Breaking The Habit  
Author : Tariq ( formerly Aeris Jade Orion )  
Rating : R  
Pairing : WR/TM  
Timeline : Season Six  
Summary : Willow goes to the Devon Coven when  
no one else will help her.

Authors note: It's unbeta'd. At the moment I  
have no beta reader for this genre. So drop me  
a line if you're interested.

Second, due to health issues, and taking care  
of my disabled mom, I haven't been able to  
write much. But over the last several years  
I've managed to slowly write on a number  
of stories.

What I've decided to do is go ahead and  
publish what I've managed to put together.  
The stories are unfinished, and sometimes,  
the last chapter I worked on is unfinished.  
Plus, there maybe multiple chapters, each one a  
different version. Just warning everyone.

So I apologize in advance.

Disclaimer : Not mine. All characters belong  
to Joss Whedon.

00000  
Prologue  
00000

She clutched the ringing phone like a life line.  
Her left leg wouldn't stop moving. Jittering up  
and down rapidly like a jackhammer.

" Hello? "

" Tara? It's Willow, I need your..."

Click.

The wiccan hung up on her. The blonde hadn't even  
heard her out, just... hung up.

Willow clicked off the phone, then turned it  
back on again. She rapidly dialed the next number.

" Hello, this is The Magic Box. How can I help  
you? " Anya greeted.

" It's Willow. I need you to do a temporary binding  
on my magic. " She rushed out.

" Look, I don't know what kind of scheme you're  
trying to pull, but I'm not falling for it, so  
you can find some other patsy. " Anya hung up.

' Damn. ' Willow sighed, already dialing the  
last number.

" Rupert Giles. "

" Giles, it's Willows. I need your help. " She  
tried for the last time.

" Buffy? " The man demanded.

" No, she's fine, everyone else is fine. " She  
assured him.

" I see. " His voice went frigid. " I'm afraid  
I have no time for your foolishness. You will  
just have to deal with whatever mess you've  
managed to create with your amatuer magical  
hijinx's. Or as the saying goes, you've made  
your made, lay in it. "

He slammed the phone on her.

She numbly dropped the cordless on the bed and  
starred in the full length mirror across from her.  
For once, she was willing to admit she was wrong,  
to apoloigize to him. So why wouldn't he listen?

" Hey, problem in Scoobyville? " Amy swayed into  
the room.

" What are you doing here? " Willow tiredly asked.  
" I told you to stay away. "

" The door was unlocked. " Amy smirked. " Besides,  
I didn't think you really meant it. We're old  
friends. "

" Friends don't take each other to magic dealers.  
Especially not Warlocks like Rack! " Willow glared.

Rack was bad news. He'd forced his magic on her,  
and worse, cast a modified sirens spell to keep  
her coming back. It had taken her two weeks to  
discover it. Plus, another week to remove it.

" Rack's cool. You should see his collection of  
books. "

" I think you should leave. "

Amy pivoted on her heals, the pleasant smile she  
always wore missing, and in it's place was a smirk  
of dark amusement. Black magic flowed over a small  
orb the former rat cradled in her left hand, now  
pointed at her chest.

" You really should have just come back. " Amy said.  
" But I'm glad you didn't. It's more fun this way. "

Willow was thrown backwards from the bed and into  
the far wall. The influx of black magic making her  
scream with agony. Her head pounded as she fought  
the urge to let it out. To let it have control.

Still it continued to come. It came until blood  
poured from her nose. Came 'til she could see her  
veins straining against her skin, and her blood  
leaked from her nails.

" Don't fight, Willow, and I'll stop. " Amy  
laughed. " Of course, if you insist... "

She moaned in agony. Spasming and twitching with  
more power than she could hold. She slammed her  
head back into the wall over and over. The magic  
spreading in her body demanding more room and not  
finding it.

Something had to give. Either her body, or the  
magic. There was simply no more space.

A large ball of concentrated magic hit her. The  
force and size of it sending her head into the  
wall with such force the world momentarily went  
black.

An explosion filled her mind, with a cataosphe of  
pops in her ears. Thick, liquid ran from them and  
she realized it was blood.

The world came back to life and with it reality.  
Amy stood there with the, now, broken orb.

" Huh. You're stronger than I thought. Oh well,  
I'll be better prepared next time. " Amy shrugged,  
then walked out casually. " Later. "

Willow brought her hands up to her ears. Trembling,  
silent, and truly scared.

She'd heard every word her onetime friend had said,  
but not with her ears, and yet she had.

The red head struggled to her feet. She couldn't  
wait around hoping to talk one of the Scoobies  
into helping her. Not anymore.

She had to get to Devon. To the coven Giles was  
always talking about. The problem was the magic.

There was too much. Most black and out of control.  
If she got on a plane like this, it go kabloomy  
for sure. Not to mention the cab to the airport.

But Anya refused to bind her, and Tara wouldn't  
talk to her...

She gulped. ' Oh crud. '

Willow opened her closet and kneeled beside the  
heavy trunk hidden in the back. She made quick  
work of the combination lock. Opening the lid  
to her super secret stash.

There, in a wooden box, was the Witch's Maiden.  
Something Amy had given her the day after Buffy  
had fought the girls mother.

Willow had spent the next day helping Amy go  
through Catherine's magic supplies. The blonde  
had given Willow several things. Including this.

A set of fingerless chainmail gloves coming mid-  
forearm, and a set of toeless chainmail socks  
which came up mid-calf.

When worn they would bind a witch's powers.  
They couldn't be removed except by a special  
key. It was a method used and created in the  
dark ages.

She gently pulled out the box, relocking the  
trunk, and closed the closet. When she kept the  
Witch's Maiden it had been in case of an  
emergency.

She'd just never assumed the emergency would be  
herself.

00000

" She must be taken to the spring. " The seer  
finally broke the silence after half a day of  
observing the sick girl.

" Absolutely not. " Ms. Harkness barked from  
her seat by Willow's bed. " No one has entered  
the spring in five hundred years. For Goddess's  
sake, Wren, the last witch to enter went mad. "

" Nevertheless, my vision is true. Willow must  
be bathed in the spring before our Goddess. "  
Wren didn't waver.

" Look at her! " She pointed to the sweat soaked  
skeleton in the twin bed. Her feet, calves, arms,  
and hands wrapped in blood stained bandages.

Jerking her eyes away from the bandages, she  
reminded herself to have the thrice damned  
Witches Maiden's burned. Oh, they were rightly  
named. Right after the equally damned iron  
maiden.

" She may never hear again. " She went on.

" It was meant to happen. " Wren smiled gently.  
" The Goddess has chosen to speak to her, and now  
she has started to hear her. Unfortunately, the  
black magic is interfering, and we must correct  
this. "

Ms. Harkness considered her most powerful seer.  
She had never doubted the other woman. Not until  
now. It was just the thought of letting a young  
woman in Willow's condition risk Gaia's Spring...

" Very well. We will proceed. " She agreed with  
great reluctance, nodding to the sisters standing  
guard.

They moved swiftly. Transferring the young addict  
to a gurney. Then the group walked from the room,  
through the ancient halls, deep into the  
underground basement of the coven castle.

She removed a large, brass key from her knee length  
wool coat, and opened the heavy wood door to the  
cut stone steps of the spring cave.

The winding stairway was long and slippery. Going  
down hundreds of feet into the Earth. Natural  
light came from magic in the walls. A soft golden  
glow mixed with a rich earthy green.

They stepped off the final step half an hour later.  
The cavern the size of two foot ball fields. With  
the cavern floor stretching out across one of them.

Ms. Harkness easily cross the distance, stopping at  
the waters of the spring. The waters were shallow  
for the first five feet. Barely a foot deep, and  
crystal clear. The floor slooped gently into it.

Afterwards, the waters became tinted white. So  
very hinted at you could see to the bottom of  
the springs, but could continue to see the  
white of the water.

It was a majestic, magical sight.

" We're ready. " Orla spoke up.

" Then let's begin, and pray to the Goddess for  
our sister. " Ms. Harkness watched worriedly.

The two healers, Orla and Sable, stripped the  
red head of all worldly possesion's. Even her  
bandages had to be removed.

Then with great care, the two carried her down  
the sloop, and lowered her into the clear water.  
They couldn't cross over to the white water,  
instead Orla, pushed the addict into the deeper  
white waters, then backed out.

Ms. Harkness flinched as the red head splashed  
violently with a heartwrenching scream. The  
white water surrounding her was now black. It  
would drift away from her to be replaced by  
more black.

" Goddess. " Leto pressed her fingertips to her  
lips.

" Relax, sisters. " Wren soothed. " The Goddess  
has special interest in this child. She will  
protect her. "

More black was cleaned from Willow. It came  
faster and faster. The white water surging over  
the red head, pulling her under the water.

Ms. Harkness stepped forward to the very edge.  
The white water seemed to instantly become all  
black, then just as quickly white again.

A soft glow appeared from where Willow had  
disappeared. Slowly, the red head surfaced, her  
long hair pure white. The emerald eyes were wide  
open but the eyes had a milky white film over  
them.

As the red head floated on her back, Ms. Harkness  
could see all the wounds were healed, leaving only  
scars behind from the Witches Maiden's.

" Oh... My... Goddess... " Willow breathed.

And Ms. Harkness smiled.

11111  
Chapter One  
11111

Well, this was fun.

She channeled her healing magic into the teens  
body. The broken bones in her neck cracked  
unpleasantly while moving back into place. They  
fused back together. Finally, her magic moved on  
to her heart. A gentle caress restarted it.

She smiled patiently as the girl opened her eyes,  
blinking at her in confusion.

" What happened? " She asked. " Wait. Where's the  
Turok-Han? Who are you? "

" I'm an old friend of the gangs. " She chuckled  
lightly. " Buffy is currently getting the slayer  
kicked out of her by it. Now, we should probably  
go give her a hand. "

She stood up, and helped the potential slayer up.  
Willow moved around the large shipping trailer.  
Buffy was defintely over her head.

The Turok-Han was making a joke out of her. The  
blonde was a bloody mess. Enough of one, Willow  
was truly scared for her.

With a flick of her wrist, the vampire went  
flying twenty yards from where her friend lay  
panting. She raised her hand, palm up, and  
traced a circle in the air.

The vampire roared, running into a golden  
shield. It jerked away in pain as it discovered  
the sun like qualities of it.

" I could kill you. " Willow explained. " But  
it's for someone else to do. However, if you  
don't leave, I'm willing to change my mind. "

The uber hissed at her, then disappeared into  
the shadows of the backgrouned. She let the  
shield drop, and turned back to Buffy.

The blonde was struggling to sit up. The potential  
was beside the slayer clearly worried. Willow  
shook her head in amusement.

" You never learn. " She walked over to the blonde,  
pushing Buffy back down. " Always getting beat up. "

" I am not. I totally kicked his ass. " Buffy  
groaned softly. " And where the hell have you been? "

Willow laid her hand on the back of Buffy's neck.  
She reached deep into the Earth, gently healing  
her best friend. First, the internal injuries.  
Second, broken bones. Third, cuts and broken skin.  
Last, bruises.

" There you go. All healed. " Will beamed.

" Whoa, handy trick. " Buffy sat up easily, then  
blinked, glancing at the potential. " Hey, how  
are you alive? "

" I healed her. " Willow explained.

" But... " Buffy frowned.

" She had a broken neck. It was just a matter  
of fixing it and restarting her heart. "

" Okay, I'm really wanting an explanation now. "  
Buffy decided.

" It'll have to wait. " Willow stood up. " I have  
a major case of jetlag, and haven't slept, or had  
dinner in forever. "

" Food and bed. I can do that. " Buffy hopped to  
her feet. " Well, if you don't mind a house with  
a group of potentials. "

" And if I do mind? " She walked lead the two to  
her suitcase and carry-on case.

" Considering the First Evil is our newest big  
bad, I don't think you have much choice. " Buffy  
shrugged.

Willow picked up her luggage, allowing Buffy to  
take the large suitcase without protest. " I  
didn't think being a Scooby came with babysitting  
duty. "

" Imagine how I feel. " Buffy sighed, hooking  
her arm through Willow's. " First, Halloween,  
then Dawn, and now... "

Now a bunch of hormonal teenage slayer wannabe's.

How quaint.

11111

Willow dropped her case inside the door next to  
her suitcase. Glad to see the potential going to  
sit with two other teens. One, a long haired girl  
seemed to be checking her out, before turning back  
to whatever the three were whispering about.

" Look who decided to save the day, and I mean  
that literally. " Buffy announced to the other  
Scoobies. " What's her name... "

"...Annebelle. " Dawn supplied.

" was dead for a few minutes there, and I nearly  
joined her. The Turkish Khan... "

"...Turok-Han. " Giles smiled.

" Right... was so getting medievil on me. "  
Buffy admitted.

" I thought you said, you were kicking his ass. "  
Willow nudged her.

" Oh hush. " Buffy slapped her shoulder. " Anyway,  
Will came swooshing in all superwiccan. I mean,  
seriously she healed Annie and chased off turkey  
boy, then she just waved her hand and poof I was  
all better. "

" It was a little more involved then that Buff. "  
Will tried correct her friend.

" But the important thing is your back, and you  
saved her. " Dawn hugged her tightly.

The others crowded around to hug her, and she  
beamed at the sight of them. Everyone but one.  
Despite everything, she felt really hurt by the  
Scooby who had turned away from her when she  
needed them the most.

Ignoring the weary Tara for the moment, she  
approached Giles. The man was in the corner  
watching her with his glasses hanging from his  
left hand and a book open in his right.

" Giles..."

" Willow, while I'm glad to see you, we really  
should... "

She lashed out with a right cross. Her fist  
getting him in the jaw with every bit of power  
her body could put into it.

He crashed to the floor. Staring up at her in  
pain and confusion.

" Bastard! " She said.

" Okay, am I missing something? " Xander asked.

" Well obviously. " Anya nodded.

" Okay, forget sleeping and food, I'm really  
wanting that explanation. Now! " Buffy stared  
incrediblously.

" Oh yeah. " Xander nodded furiously.

" If it leads to why she's punching Gile's out,  
then I agree. " Anya peaked over at the man  
still sprawled out.

" Wow, can you teach me how to do that? " Dawn  
innocently inquired.

" No! " Came the group answer.

" Fine. " Dawn muttered, heading towards Willow's  
old laptop.

-  
To Be Continued 


End file.
